Church and a Six Pack

Decades ago, one of my Superintendent predecessors, Rev Alan Walker, initiated what is now our Easter Mission. Over the years Easter Mission has been expressed in various ways, including celebration services hosted in drive-ins, Darling Harbour spectaculars, Easter Sunrise service broadcasts from the Opera House and of course, our Easter Breakfast. More recently we have hosted Easter Lunches. Last week we had a wonderful time up in Coffs with many of our staff from the region, and this week we will be in Penrith to do the same, with 260 or so of us coming together! 

A mainstay of Easter Mission has been our Good Friday celebration. For a long while now, we have been offering the people of Sydney and beyond a creative expression of the Easter story – street theatre in Martin Place in the heart of Sydney. The performers are all amateurs, drawn from Wesley Mission congregations and beyond. It’s raw and real and beautiful. Hundreds watch it in person, thousands online and many more in the snippets shown on the TV news around the country and around the world that night.  

A couple of nights ago my mate Andrew, the Minister of Newtown Mission in inner city Sydney messaged me. Like us and our friends at Wayside Chapel, Newtown is a Parish Mission in the Uniting Church, and has an amazing ministry and service to people from around the inner-west courageously facing tough challenges. Their services include an awesome cafe that feeds hundreds every week.

Jono’s message simply said: 

“A couple of regular characters at our Mission cafe tonight [are] telling me how much they look forward to the Wesley Easter passion play. Apparently, they ‘grab a six pack, watch the play, and think of Jesus. Bloody good church’!!!”

“Bloody good church”. I reckon that beats any Google review or carefully tailored social media post. I reckon it’s the best affirmation that, despite our stumbles and setbacks, we’re still running the race marked out for us, and with all our mistakes, are, by the grace of God, doing something right. 

So, on Good Friday around the edges of Martin Place, I’ll be looking out for a couple of blokes with a six pack of beer by their side. I’d love to say hello.

You can join thousands of others watching our Good Friday presentation, either from the Wesley Mission Facebook page or from our website. You can find out more about all our Easter Mission activities, including Easter Breakfast and our Easter Sunday services, on our website.